The trade union Mandate has said its one-day strike at Dunnes Stores was a "massive success" and warned that the dispute could escalate.

The union’s Dunnes Stores dispute committee is to meet in the next few days to decide on potential further industrial action at the retailer.

More than 5,000 staff at Dunnes Stores, in more than 100 outlets, who are members of Mandate, are understood to have taken part in the work stoppage.

The dispute is over demands for secure hours and earnings, job security, pay, and the right to trade union representation.

Dunnes Stores outlets around the country remained open for business yesterday, as did its online services. Informed sources said options for future industrial action included further one-day stoppages and an all-out strike.

Dunnes Stores has not commented publicly on the strike. However, in a letter sent to staff in February it warned of possible layoffs and redundancies if “harm” was inflicted on the company as a result of industrial action.

The company maintained at the time that Mandate was engineering a row on issues that did not exist, to pursue an agenda of securing union representation rights.

Dunnes said it did not engage directly with trade unions and maintained that its staff had received two pay increases in recent years.

Mandate assistant general secretary Gerry Light said the strike was regrettable and avoidable. "All Dunnes had to do was pick up the phone and agree to meaningfully engage. Sadly they've chosen the route of conflict rather than behaving in a responsible manner. This is not how any employer should behave in 21st-century Ireland. "

Tánaiste Joan Burton, a former employee of the company, called on Dunnes Stores management to engage with the State's industrial relations machinery .

Praise for staff

She said she saluted “the level of service, cheerfulness and commitment of the staff of Dunnes Stores down through the years, many of whom are women, and, in particular, the service they provide to older customers who might need support”.

“With regard to this dispute, I regret that the Dunnes Stores organisation has not utilised the industrial relations machinery of this country. I believe it was wrong not to do so and that it should do so now as soon as possible,” she added.

"As stated by Mr John Douglas, secretary general of Mandate, in an open letter to Dunnes Stores . . . 'as with most disputes between parties, they can be only resolved via dialogue between the parties'."

The Government believes planned legislation on collective bargaining rights could provide a solution for similar disputes in the future.

Under the proposed Bill, staff in companies that do not engage with unions could have their terms and conditions assessed by the Labour Court in comparison with those in similar firms.

If the employer ignored the court’s recommendation, the finding could be enforced in the Circuit Court.

The Government is planning to have the legislation enacted by the summer. Sinn Féin has called for the legislation to be brought forward.